Spinach and Spaghetti Squash Fritters

A lightly spicy combination of spinach and spaghetti squash is shaped into crisp oven-baked fritters.

4Servings

Ingredients

2 cups packed baby spinach

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Pierce squash in several places with knife. Microwave 3 minutes on high power to soften. Slice off ends, and stand squash upright. Cut straight down length of squash. Remove seeds with spoon. Place halves cut side down on rimmed baking sheet, and add 11/2 cups water to cover surface. Bake 30 minutes, or until squash yields when pressed.

Jennifer Walkup, a writer in New Jersey, enjoys creating different pesto sauces to top spaghetti squash for family dinners: “This one was a big hit—they didn’t even realize how many vegetables they were eating.” ...read more

When it comes to dried mushrooms, a few go a long way. Here, 7 dried shiitakes are all it takes to flavor fritters and sauce. You can substitute any dried mushroom in the fritters and use button mushrooms in the sauce, if necessary. ...read more

Toasting the spaghetti in the oven to bring out a nutty taste, then cooking it in a light vegetable broth gives this dish so much flavor, you won’t even miss the cheese you usually add to pasta. ...read more